Does anybody have results from shooting HD or HDTV footage and getting it transferred to film. I understand that not many people have worked with HDTV yet. I'm especially interested in the results from a XL-1 in frame mode or the Sony HDW700 camera. How well did the image hold up to the transfer? How well did the colors come across? And was their any noticeable artifacting?

-- Michael Ash (mash@newtek.com), November 21, 1998

Answers

Hi Michael,

I'm afraid that I don't have an answer for you, but if you do get any good information, please post it here on the forum. I'm shooting on an XL1 and VX1000 and have similar questions about how best to handle the shooting when the intent is to eventually upgrade to film.

- John

-- John Windmueller (jwind@cais.com), November 22, 1998.

I recently attended an IFP West seminar where they projected the VX1000, the XL1, High 8, and HDTV transferred to 35mm. The results were fairly stunning to say the least. The VX1000 had the most noticicable artifacting, however, I don't believe it was shot with the idea of transfer in mind. The XL1 looked awesome. However, it is very un-wise to shoot in frame mode. The people at the seminar explained that getting a film-look on video versus transferring video to film are two very different things. If you want to transfer from the XL1 to film, the most important thing to do is get the cleanest, most optically (not electronically!) sharp images you can, and do absolutely NO film looking to what you will transfer to film. They have processes they do there. Also, it is extraordinally that you not overexpose any part of the video. The HDTV stuff that was transferred to film was played back to back with the same scene shot on 35 mm and it was INDISTINGUISHABLE--audible gasps could be heard from the audience. Hope this helps. Biagio Messina http://members.xoom.com/JPRDigiVideo/

-- Biagio Messina (biagio111@aol.com), December 13, 1998.

Thanks for the info Biagio. I was in L.A. the week before I wish I could have seen it. Did the shots include low light secnes or any fast movemnet. I understand that video to film falls apart under those conditions. Also did Sony mention the cost? I don't have figures but I understand that it isn't cheap. Everybody seems to have thier own method of transfering to film but they are all doing the same thing. The XL1 info is useful. I'd like to shot HDTV But from what I can tell from cost of renting a camera plus the film look costs it may be cheaper to shot 16mm at this time. Not to mention there are no HDTV editing systems at this point. >>Also, it is extraordinally that you not overexpose any part of the >>video I can understand this part since no computer system can break pixels apart. But this brings up a question of latatude and response in DV video. If your limited to shoting only under fixed condtions and lighting levels is it worth the hassle at this point? I'm used to be a photographer so image quality means a lot to me.

-- Michael Ash (MASH@NEWTEK.COM), December 13, 1998.

Hi Michael!

Check out www.dvfilm.com - it's an outfit in Austin who specialise in transferring DV and Hi-8 to film. Full details are on the site, including demo frames and a price list for full transfers, clip tests and test slides.

Haven't seen their stuff as I'm based in the UK, but from the info they provide it looks interesting.

Hope this helps.

-- Peter Wardley-Repen (pwr@builth-hs.powys.sch.uk), February 04, 1999.

Hi everyone, Just letting you know I am in LA and have a HD camera package that is cheap and affordable. It is owned by a private individual as opposed to a rental house and therefore cuts costs almost in half. Also I am working with Sony Pictures on two projects which will be transferred there soon. After doing months of research and shooting a feature on DV I have many problems solved and can be a valuable asset to any similair productions. My name is David and I can be reached at 310 652-1522

-- David Lynn (cagwa2@aol.com), February 15, 1999.

I own both a Sony HDW-700 and a Canon XL-1 and have seen the transfers. Both look somewhat amazing, albeit for different reasons. The XL-1 transfer looks great for what you'd expect, and the HDW-700 looks pretty much like film with few exceptions. I rent out both cameras for incredibly affordable prices, and would be willing to talk to anyone about it. My number is (310)998-1989 and I am in Los Angeles.

-- Jeremy Saville (bloomfree@hotmail.com), June 16, 1999.

Just like to throw in my 2 bits.

The HD cameras are pretty damned amazing and transfer to film with spectacular results in interior situations. I think HD is a little less successful outside. The Canon XL-1 is a great camera... but it ain't Hi-Def. Looks fine for what it is in the Sony transfer... but if you have the cash, go for the HD camera.

I might add that Sony has done mock budgets and presents a convincing case that if you're positively going to be finishing in film... then you're probably not saving much by shooting in video. The video advantage is that you can shoot and post at a low cost in video, SELL your film, based on content, and let the distributor pay for the film transfer and re-dub.

Makes sense.

-- Jim

-- jim parriott (escribador@aol.com), August 06, 1999.

We just started doing HDCAM to 35mm transfers, and we now have a demo reel available for checkout. There are also some frame samples on our website, you can see what it looks like. We can take the HD700A output, which is 1920 x 1080, 60 Hz interlaced format, and convert it to 24 fps progressive scan without motion artifacts or loss of resolution. There is a 24p version of this camera available now (which we can also transfer from) but the old version is cheaper to rent and more commonly available.

Sony has been providing this service for years, of course, but we are undercutting their price by 50% ;)

http://www.dvfilm.com/hd.htm

-- Marcus van Bavel (mvb@dvfilm.com), August 18, 2000.

More user-friendly link to those HD samples: www.dvfilm.com/hd.htm

-- Marcus van Bavel (mvb@dvfilm.com), August 18, 2000.

Humina, Humina, Humina!!!!

-- Jack Me Hoff (Jack@ahole.com), May 16, 2003.